


A Reason For Everything

by TrashburgerBiz



Series: For The Record [2]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Confessions, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Mild Language, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-08 21:57:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11090742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrashburgerBiz/pseuds/TrashburgerBiz
Summary: During Nick's detainment by Ryan Lixo, he learns a special bit about the raccoon and comes to realize that there is a more basic, more powerful motivation for the serial killer than intially thought. A part of "For The Record" and a tie-in with SallyWhite's work that sparks the beginning for the love shared between two equally damaged animals.





	A Reason For Everything

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SallyWhite92](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SallyWhite92/gifts).



The perp wasn’t at all what Nick expected.

He figured they would be a tiger or something, at least. A big animal with claws matching his ferocity and hate. Not a raggedy, sleazy raccoon. And if he did, he would expect one that wasn’t some runt of the litter type. Needless to say, he was a bit disappointed and furious with himself that he was outwitted by such a disgrace to mammality. He huffed in frustration, fighting his bindings in his chair but to no avail. Still he was stuck here, still grounded and at that filth’s disposal. Nick tried his best not to think about it. Just as he was cursing him in his head, the little bastard entered. 

He was wearing a weathered blue jean jacket and some old, tan jeans. He had no shirt, just some bandages covering a wound he got from some other animal most likely. Nick didn’t know. He hadn’t asked. He was carrying a tray of coffee and some food, setting them on a table near the fox. His eyes were cold and icy as ever. Nick had met many criminals of various different types. Murderers, thieves, robbers, smugglers, druggies. All colors and shapes. Yet he had never met one that had the same evil that this small raccoon did. Many of them had been misguided, maybe bad animals. But none were evil. He was the definition of it. Nick was certain that he may, if he were a religious fox, be the Devil himself. Sure, he acted polite, but even the worst of demons knew how to have politesse. 

He glared at the slightly shorter predator, who took a frothy mug from the tray and sipped it. He seemed completely unperturbed by the look being given to him, or even to the other animal in general. Possibly he enjoyed it. Regardless of what his thoughts were, he had a good poker face. Nick had to give him that. A minor detail to notice, but the fox couldn’t ignore how the procyonid considered each sip with the utmost deliberation, hinting to a conception that maybe each one had a different story to tell. In the stale silence accompanying them, emerald orbs met an arctic blue-grey. The smaller mammal licked his lips and set the drink down. 

“Hungry, Detective Wilde?”

Though he wanted to tell the little bastard to go fuck himself, he could not hide the rumbling in his stomach. The raccoon’s ears twitched. He had heard, and thus moved the rolling tray to in front. Atop was a plate with some simple breakfast foods. Eggs, yes actual eggs that were one of the few predator foods that were allowed in Zootopia, toast with strawberry jam on it, some hash browns, and orange juice. All neatly organized and not bad smelling. He gave the raccoon a distrustful, baleful glance. What was he playing at, this animal? His captor revealed nothing, simply sitting in a chair across from him, still sipping on coffee without a care in the world. They held each other’s gaze for several moments before the raccoon finally sighed in exasperation. “What, do you have some delusion that I poisoned it or some other?”

“How do I know you didn’t?”

The procyonid rolled his eyes. “Not nearly as fun to dispatch you that way, Detective. I prefer more personal techniques.”

Nick still wasn’t convinced. No reason to trust the little fuck, but he had no doubt that this creature would prefer to get his paws dirty rather than just sit back like that. Yet the captor had apparently reached a point of annoyance and plucked some food of the plate and popped it in his mouth. “There. Eat. Starving to death is a fate worse than whatever I’d do.” 

Begrudgingly the fox had to agree, but he saw one flaw. His paws were bound to his chair. As if reading his thoughts, the coon ran a claw along one of the ropes on his arms and freed it. Instantly Nick swiped at him, claws extended as far as he could. The raccoon leaned back out of reach, expression calm and tail twitching. “Careful, Detective. My mercy goes only so far. Eat. We have much to discuss.”

He stepped back as the officer began to slowly eat his food. It wasn’t bad, actually. Good. Homemade, but nothing like Judy’s cooking. But he wouldn’t enjoy it simply because of who made it and where he was eating it. He swallowed a bite, studying the other animal. “So...since I assume I am going to die, can I at least know the name of my gracious host?” 

Couldn’t help the sarcasm.

“Ryan,” he stated simply. Not some nefarious moniker one would expect. Normal, even. It made Nick wonder. 

“You know….you look familiar,” the fox stated, tapping his fork thoughtfully. He could swear he had seen him before. 

Ryan nodded slowly, lips pursed. “Indeed. You see me every time you come down to the morgue.” 

Nick actually smiled a little. He remembered now. Head of the forensic pathologist team. He was a fool for not having guessed, seeing it further. He had extensive knowledge on how animals could die, how to eliminate traces. Especially when he was the one that took the bodies of the victims he created. He had creeped him out then, and nobody that had looked into those soulless blue-grey eyes could ever forget them. Ryan studied him, seeing the realization and gravity of his failings as a detective hit him. Not his fault. The raccoon had been at this for twelve years. He had perfected this art as a painter or sculptor might. He was meticulous, a perfectionist to the very meaning of the word. 

The fox remained silent for several minutes as he ate his food. As he did, the gears in his head turned. One word came back over and over as it would be expected: why? What made this animal hurt so badly that he would take up the act of murder? What vendetta did he have against officers? Against him? Against those wolves?

“You are wondering what brought me here? What makes me tick.” Ryan stated quietly, getting up and paws clasped behind his back. He circled around the chair, eyes narrowed slits and twinkling with amusement. His canines flashed as he hissed out into the fox’s ear. 

“How did I fall so far? Why you? Why the wolves? Why Detective Hopps? I can feel your anxiety on the tip of my whiskers, Wilde.”

The vulpine scoffed, setting his utensils down and his free paw going to his lap. “Not as anxious as you seem to tell it.”

Ryan chuckled, mirth filling it. Genuine. Ooh, this mammal had snark for days. He loved it so. “Indeed, Detective. How astute you are, though unfortunate you chose now of all times to be so.”

He then came to stand in front of Nick, dragging his claws along his shoulder as he did. Nick might have shrugged them off, but he had seen how sharp they were and their proximity to his jugular was not missed by either him or his captor. That he was sure of. He decided to play along. After all, he was curious. Hell, he had liked seeing different perspectives back in his criminal days. That interest had peaked upon becoming an officer. “So, what made you snap? I am assuming revenge. Only logic I can see for those timberwolves.”

“Once more, I compliment your observation abilities. You are correct.” The procyonid maintained his grin, though it had been subdued to a more sly one than devious. His paws returned to behind his back and he paced back and forth. “Now, do tell me your conjecture as to why.”

Nick examined him closely. The engine of thought engaged itself as he came up with scenario after scenario, probability followed by probability. The greatest motivator for homicide when relating to revenge was retribution. Eye for an eye. One death for the other. Then he remember the tape his captor left when they had played their first initiation trial with him. How that wolf, Mr. Napes, had been responsible for taking two lives. Likely a relation to this raccoon in front of him. His emerald hues darted up to meet cold crystal. His lips parted, hesitantly. “They took someone from you. Two. You are killing them one by one as repayment.”

A smugness washed over the raccoon’s features, ears perking. “I am impressed, Wilde. Right on the nose of the matter. Yes, I am systematically slaughtering them as punishment for their sins. It is only fair.” 

“That’s not fair! They have families. They gave up on that life!” the fox spat angrily.

Ryan snickered, utterly unperturbed by Nick’s indignation. “It does not retract the crimes they already committed, nor the effects it had on me. Every action has unforeseeable consequences, Detective. I do not disagree that their families do not deserve it, but neither did I. I was but a kit. It is simply how the dice rolls. An unavoidable circumstance.”

“You tore the intestines out of one of them in front of their child. You are no different than them.” He could feel his disgust rising increasingly each second.

“Hm. Exactly. Maybe they will do what I do. Become me in turn. It could have been stopped, maybe.” 

“How, you lunatic?”

“If the cops had not turned a blind eye to it. Corruption ran rampant and that wolf friend of yours had paid them to ignore it. Nobody cared about me, about helping me. Henry, Cabone, Big. All of those mob bosses had taken everything from me. Mother, brother, and Bel--” Ryan cut himself off mid sentence, his jaw snapping shut and for once fear crossed his eyes. He had almost said too much., No, mentioning her was too painful. Agonizing. His beloved fox. Nobody could know of her. 

Unfortunately, Nick was still sharp as a diamond-edged sword and had Ryan’s full attention. There was no possible way he had missed that slip or had not seen that glint in the raccoon’s eyes. A weakness. Something he would have to probe his captor for. His mind went into overdrive as he tried his best to guess the mystery name. His brain fixed instantly on the first part of the name. Sounded like “Bell”. Then the mob boss names. It took him a good few moments before the lightbulb in his head flickered to life. Cabone. Bell. Bella. It had to be. The coincidence was too great. Finnick’s old vixen that had overdosed and had gone into a coma. Finn was still fucking paying for her care in that rehabilitation home. But her….involved with him. That pain in his eyes, the way he had choked on even part of her name, how scared he was to say it. That would explain why she had never loved Finn back, why she kept hurting him. Likely why she overdosed. 

Ryan Lixo had apparently loved Bella White. And he seemed to think she was dead.

For once, things made sense. This was more than familial. This was the grief of losing everybody. Everybody he had loved to these animals. With the way it sounded, the loss of Bella is what apparently finally broke any sense of mercy in him. His next words were careful, his eyelids narrowing as he spoke with the utmost care. “Bella White. She was your lover. You think sh-”

Ryan snarled and raked his claws with blinding speed across the fox’s cheek. Nick felt his muscles clench and searing pain and the scent of copper fill him. Holy fuck those were sharp. Even with a graze like that, they were deep cuts. He cursed, glaring at the other animal. The smug expression the raccoon had been wearing had transformed into one of arctic fury. Heartless as he was before, his lips pulled back enough to show canines running to his crowns. “You do not mention Her to me ever again. You know nothing of my Bell. She is dead and I will not have her name be tainted by your lips. Otherwise I will not extend my niceties again.” 

With that he turned and stalked back to his cooling mug of coffee. He downed the rest of it and threw the mug in rage at the wall. He felt tears stinging the corners of his eyes. Nobody could ever know. Even now, even after her death, she still tormented him. Hurt him, calmed him, moved him. Nobody could know how much she still controlled him even now. He stormed to the door, ready to leave, when a despondent sigh floated to his ears. He paused, ears swiveling back to the fox. 

“Even now, Lixo, you are still that same hurt kit you claim to be years ago. Who is to say she is truly gone, or that nobody can help you?”

He chanced a glance over his shoulder at the bound mammal. Nick truly seemed to give him this sad look, this one of understanding. One someone who actually cared might give him. One he didn’t deserve. Nick continued. “Let me go. Turn yourself in. I can make sure they give you life in prison rather than the death sentence. Let us help you. We ca-”

He ceased at the look of pure melancholy given to him by the raccoon. His ears were drooped and he wasn’t bothering to hide his tears. Once more, understanding filled Nick. “..But you don’t want that, do you? You want to die. You can’t bare to live without her, can you?”

Ryan said nothing. He gave a curt shake of his head, then reached in his pocket and pulled out a carrot. Not a regular carrot, but Judy’s pen. The old recording one. Without a word, he tossed it to which Nick caught instantly. He broke his gaze from it when his host spoke. 

“There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss her. Get some sleep. I’ll be back for in the morning to talk again. We have about another week together.”

With that, he closed the door and was gone. Nick stared down at the pen once more. The tiniest glimmer of joy filled his heart as he pressed play on the pen and heard his rabbit's soft voice come through. If this animal loved that fox nearly as much as he loved Judy, he just might undertand why. 

Maybe he could be saved after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys. This is a little fic I wanted to do that was done in indirect conjunction with SallyWhite92. If you follow me on Tumblr at all, you'll know that we ship my Ryan with her Bella and have had an ongoing and evolving relationship for them for months now. We have collabed several works that still need to be edited, but haven't posted them since we doubt anybody but us would really want to read them. However, since this also ties in with "For The Record", I felt it was okay to post anyway. Plus, give Ryan a bit more depth because I like writing about the little shit. Anyway, thank you for reading and more of "Firewatch" and short stories to come soon.


End file.
